1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an illuminated combination meter, more particularly to a light leakage preventing structure for a combination meter in which edges of a facing portion and surfaces of scale plates appear integrated and the manufacturing cost thereof is low.
2. Description of Relevant Art
In a combination meter in which a meter scale plate is constituted so that edges of scale plates divided plurally face each other, as shown in FIG. 1, a gap 106 is provided between edges 105 of the facing portion of the scale plates 104. This is because the edges 105, 105 are prevented from bumping against each other and from being deformed due to thermal expansion and displacement of the scale plates 104. However, when such a gap 106 is provided, illumination lights of the scale plates 104 leak from this gap, and thus the scale plates 104 are hardly seen. In order to prevent this effect, a light leakage preventing structure is provided.
The conventional light leakage preventing structure is such that, as shown in FIG. 1, a bent section 105a is formed at the edge 105 of the scale plate 104, and this bent section 105a is nipped by a channel-shaped light shielding plate 112 as disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 3-113125 (1991).
In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, a structure, with a turned edge 113 is provided on upper surfaces of the scale plates 104, namely, surfaces on a side where a needle 107a indicating numerical values is provided. The turned edge structure covers the gap 106 between the facing edges 105, 105 of the scale plates 104, 104.
In the structure with the bent section 105a as shown in FIG. 1, a line or a radius (in case a corner portion is rounded) occurs at a corner portion of the bent section 105a. Since a light is reflected from the surface of the bending section 105a, contrast is generated between the surfaces of the scale plates 104 and gap 106. Therefore, there arises a problem that the appearance of an integral structure is hardly obtained.
In addition, in the structure as shown in FIG. 2, the turned edge 113 is provided on the scale plates 104. This configuration does not provide the appearance that the scale plates face each other. Therefore, there also arises the problem that the appearance of an integral structure is hardly obtained.